Minolta Miniflex
The Minolta Miniflex (ミノルタ・ミニフレックス) is a 4×4 TLR made in 1959 by Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō, predecessor of Minolta. It appeared two years after the Rolleiflex Baby Grey, during the short revival of 127 film for the square format superslides. The same year Olympus announced the Eye Flex, that never reached the production stage. Description The Minolta Miniflex has the classical TLR shape. The front standard moves back and forth for focusing. There is a big focusing wheel on the photographer's left, containing a film reminder, and an additional plate with depth-of-field indications. The film is advanced by a knob on the photographer's right, at the bottom, engraved with an arrow and the word WIND to indicate the turning direction. The film advance is semi-automatic, and there is a round window on the advance side for an exposure counter. This is reset by a control next to the advance knob, shaped as a large screw head. It can be pressed with a fingernail or a coin, and has this shape to avoid accidental action. The camera can take twelve exposures in 4×4cm format. There is a red window on the right of the back, used to set the position of the first exposure, and protected by a large rotating disc, marked CHIYODA KOGAKU OSAKA JAPAN and spring-loaded to close the red window. The back is locked by a key at the bottom. The film runs from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, this method reduces film distortion compared with the reverse travel direction, and was adopted on the Minolta TLRs from the 1954 Minoltacord. Adopted on the Minoltacord because it reduces film distortion: Kitano, pp.121–2 of Photo Art Rinji Zōkan Kamera no Chishiki, October 1955. The viewing hood is three-fold and has a logo at the front, showing the letter M'' in silver on a deep red background. It contains a square magnifying lens but no sportsfinder, and its shape is specially designed for dust protection. Anti-dust design: Tanaka, p.29, ''Watakushi no ni-gan-refu kamera-ten, p.20. The nameplate is made of translucid plastic, with the name minolta miniflex written in gold letters in the typical 1960s Minolta font. There are strap clamps on both sides of the body; these strap attachments were specific to the Miniflex at the time it was introduced, but would be adopted on the Minolta Autocord from 1962. There are two accessory shoes, one on each side; each contains two spring-loaded spheres to hold the accessory on the shoe. The right-hand shoe has an indentation at the bottom, and is used to attach the accessory sportsfinder (see below). The shutter release is at the bottom of the front standard, and protrudes towards the right. The shutter is an Optiper Citizen MVL (B, 1–500). It is cocked by a small lever on the side, above the release button. The self-timer lever is on the same side and is painted green. There is an M/X selector and a PC synch socket on the opposite side. The shutter name is inscribed between the two lenses: OPTIPER on one side and CITIZEN MVL on the other. There is a Light-Value scale under the taking lens, controlled by a lever at the bottom. The speed scale is on one side of the shutter and the aperture scale on the other; they are interlocked and move together for a given Light-Value setting. The most common finish is two-tone blue: medium blue hammertone paint for the body shell, back and moving front standard, and light blue lacquer for the viewing hood and the casing surrounding the lenses. The sides and the back have a matching blue-grey leatherette covering. One source says that this finish was called "greenish blue" (グリーニッシュブルー), and that the camera also exists in "silver grey" (シルバーグレー). , p.407. However, no grey Miniflex has yet been found. The taking lens is a Minolta Rokkor 60mm f/3.5, and the viewing lens is a View Rokkor 60mm f/2.8. Both have a bayonet filter attachment and a seven-digit serial number. Commercial life The Minolta Miniflex was announced in Japanese camera magazines dated May to July 1959, was featured again in Shashin Kōgyō in September, and was briefly advertised in October and November. , p.407. Francesch, pp.39 and 101, says that the Miniflex was released on September 23, 1959, but what this exactly means is unclear. The October advertisement in Camera Mainichi presents the camera along with the Minolta A3, and does not mention a price. Advertisement reproduced in , p.304. It is said that the camera was sold for ¥12,700 (case ¥1,800 extra). Tanaka, p.30. Various sources say that the production did not exceed 5000. This page at Pacific Rim Camera, this page of Aya's Camera Site, this page at Manual Minolta. Body numbers are known in the 100xxx, 102xxx, 103xxx and 104xxx ranges, and lens numbers are known in the 1100xxx, 1102xxx, 1103xxx, 1104xxx and 1105xxx ranges. The highest reported numbers are body no.104587, taking lens no.1104775 and viewing lens no.1105049 (on a different camera). Accessories Various accessories exist for the Minolta Miniflex. The camera usually comes with a medium blue ever-ready case and neckstrap; the case has the minolta logo at the front. The lens cap is light blue and has the same logo in front of the taking lens. The metal lens hood is medium blue with a silver base, and has minolta at the top; it comes in a medium blue case with a triangular minolta logo. The external sportsfinder, of the folding frame type, is medium blue with a silver front frame. It comes in a small medium blue case. It has a locking knob inscribed L'', ''O and JAPAN. The locking pin engages into the indentation of the right-hand accessory shoe, and the accessory cannot be attached properly on the left. The camera is held horizontally when using the sportsfinder. The shutter release was specially thought to make it comfortable to trip both in the vertical position and in the horizontal position. Kubota, pp.638–9 of Shashin Kōgyō no.86. The original box is red, white and grey, and has a big M'' in deep blue, shaped the same as on the viewing hood, and a big ''44 among other markings. Notes Bibliography * Item 1653. * Pp.39–40 and 100–1. * Kitano Kunio (北野邦雄). "Bodi kankei no sho-kikō (2): nigan-refurekkusu ni okeru firumu no makitori hōkō" (ボディ関係の諸機構2二眼レフレックスに於けるフィルムの巻取方向, "Various mechanisms for the bodies 2: film advance direction on twin lens reflex"). Photo Art Rinji Zōkan Kamera no Chishiki (臨時増刊カメラの知識, special issue about cameras). October 1955. Pp.121–2. * Kubota Isamu (久保田勇). "Minolta Miniflex" (ミノルタミニフレックス). Shashin Kōgyō no.86. June 1959. Pp.638–9. * P.98. * P.681. * Pp.50–1. * Item 2196. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Minolta Camera: nigan-refu kamera" (Minolta Camera: 二眼レフカメラ, Minolta TLR cameras). Pp.25–30. * Watakushi no ni-gan-refu kamera-ten (私の二眼レフカメラ展, Exhibition of twin lens reflex cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P.20. Links In English: * Miniflex at Pacific Rim Camera * 127 film Minolta cameras and Minolta TLR cameras at the Manual Minolta website * Miniflex, lot no.693 of auction no.8 (27 November 2005) by Westlicht Photographica Auction (this particular example has no accessory shoe on the photographer's left, for some reason) * Sales by LP Foto: ** Miniflex, lot no.701 of auction no.17 (7 December 2002) ** Miniflex, lot no.74 of auction no.26 (22 April 2007) In Japanese: * Miniflex at Aya's website * Pages at Asacame: ** Miniflex in the A-Z 127 film cameras ** Miniflex, Walz Automat 44 and Primo Jr ** Japanese 4×4 TLRs, including the Miniflex * List of 4×4cm TLRs at the 44 Club Category: Japanese 4x4 TLR Miniflex Category: M